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Blogging from Islii

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NASSIR   

Nice Thread MMA. I Lived in Eastleight back in 96 before moving from a place call Mandoni, Mombasa (I hope I spelled correctly ) with the family. Islii is now actually transformed but with very marginal progress in terms of social mobility other than serving as a transit point for the Somali refugees and a place to invest for those who as you said can match investors and developers. It's like a small stock market. However money laundering, poverty, drugs, prostitution, extortion by the Kenyan police all define Eastleight. Some call it a safe haven for the criminal enterprises in Somalia.

 

Btw, I remember the Matatu mini buses painted with labels of Hip-hop artists, overcrowded streets & the dust. We were probably the first wave of refugees from Somalia who turned Eastleight into a competitive marketplace. The first time I could remember seeing the streets of Nairobi was back in 1992.

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Soomaalicentric, Ciid maa saas ugu xiiso qabtaa. Xalwada ma kaaga soo dhiibaa Islii, though. But xalwada qurbaha laga helo ayaa ka macaan kuwa inta ku arkay.

 

Naasir/, waa hore Islii kugu dambeysee, saaxiib. Isku sanad baxnay, I guess. Bal mar kale soo booqo. About the 'money laundering, prostitution and drugs,' personally I think it is over-exaggerated. If sending lacagaha through xawaaladaha is 'money laundering' then by all means it is. Drug problem kama jiro if seriously jaadka dadka cuno la dhaho drug problems waaye. But Soomaali meelee ku badantahay jaad wuu yaalaa, and this country ayuuba ka baxaa jaadkaasna. Dad jirkooda iska gadana wey jiraan, laakiinse saas uma badno. Dhif dhif haa.

 

Basaska still waa sidoodii, oo hip hop images and other American idols ku wada sawiran, inkastoo loud music ee shidi jireen laga joojiye, but sometimes wey shidaan.

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Today's blog: Meeting the legend: Bacalwaan

 

Some seven days ago, I was at a foreign exchange kiosk in the heart of Islii, when suddenly coming out of it there stood a familiar looking man. It suddenly registered waa fanaankii caanka ahaa ee Bacalwaan. Last time I read about him online, his health aad u liitay. Laakiin daraad aan arkaaye, Eebba mahadiis, he looked so healthy. Walaahi aad ugu farxay. Si qadaran ii salaamayna, just like laba qof istaqaano camal.

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Mustafe   

NASSIR;740364 wrote:
Nice Thread MMA. I Lived in Eastleight back in 96 before moving from a place call Mandoni, Mombasa (I hope I spelled correctly ) with the family. Islii is now actually transformed but with very marginal progress in terms of social mobility other than serving as a transit point for the Somali refugees and a place to invest for those who as you said can match investors and developers. It's like a small stock market. However money laundering, poverty, drugs, prostitution, extortion by the Kenyan police all define Eastleight. Some call it a safe haven for the criminal enterprises in Somalia.

 

Btw, I remember the Matatu mini buses painted with labels of Hip-hop artists, overcrowded streets & the dust. We were probably the first wave of refugees from Somalia who turned Eastleight into a competitive marketplace. The first time I could remember seeing the streets of Nairobi was back in 1992.

 

So you lived in Mandoni too Nasir, the beautiful xaafad where the Somalis used to put salli/derin/qadiifad outdoors infront of their houses in the evening, and chill under the mango trees till late at night due to the excessive heat of Mombasa? I too lived there in 94/95 until we moved to Nairobi in 96. Mandoni was amazing, 15 years later I still have vivid images of the qumbo and mango trees, the heat and xaraarad, the constant kaftan iyo sheeko at night. I only hated the fact I was so young because I wanted to take part of the drama of the old people.

I particularly hated it when I see wiilasha iyo gabdhaha waayeyn oo fiidkii is shukaansanaya; alla maxaan xanaaqi jirey. Ilaahoo mar keliya yaa nin weyn kaa dhigaa i qaban jirtey adna aad gabdhaha shukaansatide, lol. Ciyaalnimo waa ciil laga koro. Laakiin waa iska caadi, kuwii berigaa gabdhaha igu hor shukaansan jirey hadda adduunka way ka xaroodeen, waayo waa mid/late 30s to 40s, aniguna hadda ayaan dhalin yaro ahay oo wixii aan sheeko xariireed berigaa dadka waa weyn ka bartay gabdhaha ku maaweeliyaa looool.

 

 

MMA,

 

Sxb adna islii baad nasoo xasuusisay duco hakugu dhacdee. Its yet another place I have fond memories of, with the exception of the qashin, dhiiqo, and mean dugsi quraan teachers. Insha'allah I will visit there mid next year for the first time in 14 years, and one of the first things I wish to do is get even with a certain macallin quraan who once belted me for no good reason. I have been told he has become very wealthy since and no longer teaches quraan. My innitial plan was to bribe two police men and instruct them to put him in bengani for two days, but since according to you police corruption decreased in islii I will just have bribe two jokaraa kids instead lol.

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Today's pictorial blog: Isku diyaarinta Ciidda iyo Islii

 

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The pictures don't do justice since Islii is too crowded in the past couple of days -- filled with Soomaalida Ciidda isku diyaarinaayo. Runtii Islii waa iska Soomaaliya, you are always reminded that all the time.

 

I will post a video of it soon.

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Today's pictorial blog: Xaafadda Burhaan Estate

 

Burhaan Estate waa xaafad balaaran oo gated communities ah kuna dhex taalo isla xaafadda weyn ee Islii. Burhaan Estate waxaa la dhisay afartii sano u dambeysay, waxaana degan Soomaali, una badan qoysas qurbojoogta ah oo kasoo wada noqday dibadaha.

 

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I was in Eastleigh last week and I absolutely hated every second of it! I hated the weather, gray, chilly and gloomy. I hated the dhiiqo and the mountains of trash on the streets, in front of bussinesses. If the tenants can't afford their own sweepers, why can't the flourishing bussinesses in the area clean the trash? And whats up with the Kenyan children dressed in HIJABS, begging in every corner ALL day long?? I must say I loved seeing Somalis doing bussiness wether it is a hotel, Hawaalad or selling samuusa on the street. My heart broke for the Somali children; not a day over 10 years old but working for their families, selling what they can to feed their familly.

Now, if I only had the power to ship every Khad chewing, welfare-dependent, deadbeat dad losers to Nairobi in exchange for those working children, I'd be a happy woman.

MM, seems you are having a good time. Enjoy!

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Valenteenah, ma saxankaas ayaa la yaabtay. That family more channels amee fiirsadaan taloow.

 

Chocolate, Islii one week ayaaba joogtee ma adaaba wax badan joogay. And that week happened maalmuhuu roobka da'aaye, oo qorax ma arkin. On upside, at least busteeda ma arkin. Oh, its tornado-like dust haddaa arki lahayd waaba sii qeylin lahayd. Eniwey, everyone who comes to Islii for first time has exactly same reaction as you do. Just as you stay longer ayaa la qabsaneysaa, some even weyba iska jeclaadaan.

 

By the way, ciyaalka Soomaaliyeed oo tobanka sano jiro oo wax jidadka ku gad gadaayo wali ma arkin. Perhaps saas uma badna filaa. I have yet to see one.

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Today's blog: Xaflad cunto iyo Islii

 

Since this blog features about everything and anything and nothing about Islii and SOLers are virtually an extended family, I would like to share my own wedding's food oo lagu dhigay xaafadda Islii, gaar ahaan hoteelka

. Daawasho wacan.

 

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